U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin says a national housing bill is likely to become law even though President Trump is holding it hostage. The president last week canceled a signing ceremony for what's called the 21st Century Road to Housing Act until Congress acts on his voting security bill.
Durbin told reporters during a news conference Monday in Bloomington that he thinks it's only a delay.
“It's going to happen. We've reached a point in this country…where the average age of a person buying a home is over 40. That tells you what a hardship it is to come up with the money for a home in America these days,” said the Illinois Democrat, who is retiring after his current term is over at the end of the year.
Durbin noted the housing crisis extends to Central Illinois, including Bloomington-Normal, Springfield, and Decatur, which have workers living more than 50 miles away.
“Home ownership is really one of the important decisions that a person and a family make that has a lot of long-term value in terms of your value to the community and your own personal wealth,” said Durbin, adding one of the most important parts of the legislation is a curb on corporate purchases of single-family homes.
“You ever see these little signs that say we buy ugly homes? Who in the world buys an ugly home? Somebody who is an investment pool of people who just want more and more housing stock. They want more people paying rent rather than owning homes. That's a big mistake,” said Durbin.
Trump could veto the measure, although it passed with significant bipartisan support. When GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson sends the measure to the White House, a 10-day clock starts running for the president to either sign it or veto it.
If he does neither, it automatically becomes law. This raises the question of what if the speaker sits on the bill and does not present it to the president? Durbin said Johnson has indicated he will not do that indefinitely and will forward it to the president.
“That used to be so routine. We legislated. We passed laws, bills, and sent them to the president for signature, and they didn't put out a press release every day that happened. It was considered our job. It's such a rarity now, that it's big news,” said Durbin.
Voting security
There's a long history in politics of using leverage on one issue to influence the outcome of another. Durbin said this coupling of election law and housing is unusual.
Durbin called the SAVE Act that Trump is pushing — short for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act — a “voter suppression” measure. Voters would have to show photo identification at the polls and to register to vote, but a form of ID that includes proof you were born in the United States. A driver’s license would not be enough. There are two ways to provide that proof, a passport or a birth certificate.
“Have you seen your birth certificate lately? I think mine's in a box in my closet upstairs in my house," said Durbin. "I'm not sure. I'd have to go searching for it. And my wife, who changed her maiden name, Schaefer, to her married name, Durbin, would have to get an amended birth certificate, which means filing with the proper agency to get that achieved.”
He said the other method, showing a passport discriminates economically, noting half of Americans don't have a passport. The fee to get one is $165 and to expedite the process costs an additional $65.
“That turns out to be a voting charge, a requirement that you pay a fee to be able to vote in this country. When did we get into that business? I thought we got out of that business, and here we are again,” said Durbin.
A survey of more than two decades of people seeking voter registration showed only 77 out of millions were non-citizens and thus ineligible to register to vote, said Durbin, adding, “It is a solution looking for a problem.”
U.S.- Iran War
Missile launches have repeatedly disrupted the cease fire agreement between U.S. and Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf. Yet, Durbin doesn't think Congress will have a repeat of the recent Senate vote calling on the president to end the conflict, or even a stronger measure.
“The president came and made a personal appeal to the Republicans last week in the Senate at a luncheon because we had a majority voting against the idea of this unnecessary war in both the House and the Senate. He is desperate to keep his own loyal party on track to support what he's doing,” said Durbin.
Durbin said Trump’s attack on Iran was a mistake and he believes the president now realizes it, though it is always easier to get into a war than to get out of one.
Durbin did not directly answer a question about how to get Israel to align with U.S. solutions to the conflict.
“We cannot accept any dictates from Bibi Netanyahu. As far as I'm concerned, he's made serious mistakes in his judgment. To defend his people and his country is understandable, and I support him. But to go further in what happened in Gaza, is happening today in Lebanon and beyond shows a recklessness on his part that we should not be associated with,” said Durbin.
The nature of scandal
Vice President JD Vance said last week that if Watergate happened today, it would be a 10-day news story and not something that would last for months and bring down a presidency. Durbin agreed, saying the level of “open corruption in Washington is something never-before seen in the nation.
“The doors are wide open, and everybody knows what's going on. Somehow or another, this president of the United States, in the first year of his second term, managed to increase his net worth by $1.4 billion. In one year! What in the hell is happening here?” said Durbin.
He said a lot of deals are being made very publicly to reward people who contributed to Trump’s campaign.
“It is not only just an embarrassment, but a danger to our democracy,” said Durbin.
Intra-party strife
Some Democratic party analysts have voiced warnings about strife between Democratic Socialists and centrist Democrats, concerned the family fight could prove costly to Democratic election hopes in November.
Durbin disagreed, saying, “I'm not looking for a cease fire. I'm looking for an effort to have a real primary.”
He recalled telling then-Sen. Barack Obama in November of 2006 that he should run for president against Hillary Clinton.
“That was a spirited primary, and it was good for the nation, good for our political party. We need another one moving forward, and I think that we can embrace the entire spectrum of political thinking in our party and still win the election,” said Durbin.
He said that fractiousness is healthier than what is going on inside the GOP.
“This president dictates to his members of the Republican party, you will vote this way or else, and if you don't, I'll oppose you in the primary. I think that kind of discipline comes at a cost. I think more people want to have freedom to decide what they think it is right and not be intimidated,” said Durbin.
